Making Your Own Herbal Remedies

When most people think of herbal remedies, they naturally think of a soothing cup of herbal tea. Knowing the specifics of making teas, infusions and decoctions, the herbal water-based remedies, will help you get the most healing potential from your herbs.

This series of articles assumes that you have an in-depth knowledge of the herbs you want to work with, including which part(s) of the plants to use, possible side effects, contraindications (a symptom or health condition that makes the use of a specific herb inadvisable), possible interactions with drugs and the understanding that some herbs can be safely used on a long-term basis, while others should only be used short-term for a specific condition.

Teas: Herbal teas are the most common way to take herbs. Herbal teas are also referred to as infusions. I'm using the term "tea" here to avoid confusion with long infusions, which are discussed below.

As you would expect, an herbal tea is made by steeping the herb or herbal blend in hot water, then straining and serving. Teas can be made from fresh or dried plant material. To make an herbal tea, steep the herb(s) in one cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep it covered as it steeps (a saucer works well for this step if you're steeping in a cup).

To steep the tea, use whatever tea accessory you like, such as a small teapot, or a tea ball or brew basket right in the cup. There are many fun accessories to the tea-making process, such as filters, infusers and strainers. If you don't want to spend a lot, make your tea in a Pyrex measuring cup (or any other cup with a spout), then pour it through a coffee filter inserted in the cup you will drink from. Let the tea drip through the filter as you slowly remove it.